Ohio Poetry Association Blog

By Abby Studebaker As April approaches, it brings with it a break from subzero temperatures and the start of yet another exciting National Poetry Month. OPA will kick off this yearly celebration of poetry with a reading, coordinated by our very own Kari Gunter-Seymour, in partnership with the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio on Sunday, April 8. Located in Lancaster, the Decorative Arts Center puts on exhibitions every year with the goal of engaging and inspiring through the arts. Beginning January 21 and running through April 15, the exhibition Artists of the Winding Road A-Z will feature the work of 12 artists living and working in Appalachian Ohio. From asphalt to repurposed materials, the art in this exhibition reflects the region and its diverse inhabitants, and it has inspired OPA to co-sponsor a collaborative poetry reading in Lancaster. The reading, titled “Rise Up Appalachia: Voices From Southeastern Ohio,” will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday,...

The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) is releasing a new ekphrastic poetry anthology, titled, A Rustling and Waking Within. The collection is a celebration of art and poetry in Ohio . The 139-page perfect-bound book contains poems written by friends and members of OPA in response to various forms of art featured in Ohio 's museums, galleries and many other venues, including homes. Works by Ohio artists, both older art and more contemporary, are included.   On the cover is a painting by Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903), titled, "The Roofs of Old Rouen , Gray Weather " used by permission from the Toledo Museum of Art. The project marks the culmination of four OPA writing events that were held in major art centers in Ohio . An initial release event, at which contributors will read their poems against a visual projection of the art to which they responded, is slated for Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. H...